ESSEN, Germany -Borussia Dortmund needed a superb finish by forward Serhou Guirassy in the 79th minute to break the resistance of third-division club Rot-Weiss Essen and earn a nervous 1-0 victory in the German Cup on Monday.
Dortmund found it hard going in their first competitive game of the season against the disciplined Essen backline, who were working overtime to keep the visitors’ chances to a minimum.
The hosts almost took the lead themselves in the 41st minute but Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel denied Romien Safi from close range.
Essen remained bold after the break, stifling most Dortmund attacks early while lurking on the break.
But they could do nothing when Guinea international Guirassy picked up the ball at the edge of the box, battled with two Essen defenders before unleashing an unstoppable, low drive past the keeper for a 79th minute lead.
Dortmund, who start their Bundesliga season on Saturday with a trip to St Pauli, held on to their slim lead despite late pressure from the hosts, to advance to the second round. But they saw defender Yan Couto injured in second half stoppage time after a rough challenge from Kelsey Owusu.
(Karolos Grohmann, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
